AimThe
aim of this project was to create a 3D computer model of the 1947
Streamliner and, using the geometry obtained, to manufacture a 1/24
scale model of the truck by a computer-controlled CNC milling machine.
Measurements taken from the restored 1947 Streamliner were used, however
the tractor was modified to accommodate for the original longer
wheelbase.

Modeling

Images showing several stages of the modelleng process (Click on a thumbnail below to view a full-size image)

Final renders (Click on a thumbnail below to view a full-size image)

Background

It
is often claimed that the streamlined beer trucks of the late 30s'
appeared as traveling billboards since advertising of beer was
prohibited in the media. However, it should be noted that the
so-called 'Streamline design' was the order of the day. Raymond Loewy
successfully applied it to locomotives, long distance busses and
automobiles, while design projects of Norman Bel Geddes ranged from
airplanes to ocean liners. In fact 'streamlining' became so popular,
that it was used to stylize virtually any kind of consumer product,
including completely static ones. Moreover, even for the moving
objects, their seemingly 'aerodynamic' shapes were mere fruits of
imagination of their creators, as actual experiments with wind tunnels
were seldom conducted.

Streamlining of trucks was probably started by The Texas Company (later Texaco) already in 1931. Their 1933 Diamond T-based tanker , also known as the ´doodlebug´, exemplifies the early efforts in
streamlining of fuel tanker trucks. This was followed by other companies
in the field as well tank body manufacturers. One of the most popular
platforms for these trucks was Dodge Airflow, first introduced in December 1934.

Count Alexis De Sakhnoffsky
(1901 - 1964) was a prominent industrial designer who had a long
association with the White Motor Company. As an assignee for the company
he was responsible for designing streamlined tankers based on conventional and coe
trucks. The design for the first generation of streamliners for
John Labatt Limited was patented by de Sakhnoffsky in 1938 .
Apparently related to Labatt's streamliners were designs of a trailer
patented in 1937 and a tractor in 1938 . However, Labatt's was not the only brewery that operated streamlined vehicles at that time.

Four
generations of streamliners were built for Labatt's. These
included semis and vans of similar design. All the designs were drawn by
Alexis de Sakhnoffsky. The streamliners were built by the Smith
Brothers Motor Works of Toronto. The coachbuilder used Canadian-built White tractors
and Canadian-built Fruehauf drop-frame trailers to construct the
vehicles. The bodies for the units were hand-built of aluminum
sheets pined over the wooden frame of white oak and ash.

Labatt's
initial order for the forth generation of streamliners was placed in
1941. Original plan included 15 units for Labatt's and one unit for
Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, as a vehicle for transporting
ponies. Manufacturing was however disturbed by World War II and the work
resumed only in 1946. Eventually eleven units were built, ten for
Labatt's and one for Princess Juliana.

The 1947 Labatt's
streamliner was different its predecessors, the trailer was set lower
and was rounded at the front and the rear, it also sported a decorative
stainless steel dorsal fin. The tractor had a longer 121" wheelbase. The
specifications of the streamliner are given in Table I. The vehicle was
painted red with distinctive stripes and lettering in golden leaf; the
two tone (red/dark blue) paintjob characteristic for the previous
generations of streamliners was dropped.

Streamlined beauty is on the road again

Labatt's restored Streamliner is touring Canada on its way to the winter Olympics

By TED LATURNUS
An article The Vancouver Sun on Friday, February 8, 2002If
you were a beer drinking truck aficionado 50 or 60 years ago, you might
have been lucky enough to see what some consider to be the most
beautiful truck in the world. For almost 20 years - from 1936 to 1955 -
the Labatt Streamliner was a common sight trundling around Canadian
cities. It was especially welcome by those who have a taste for the
barley sandwich, as it was used to haul beer from brewery to bar.
More
than that, the Streamliner won a "Best Design" award at the 1939
World's Fair in New York and was the first tractor-trailer rig in Canada
equipped with air brakes and an anti-jack-knifing device.
It was,
by anyone's standards, an art nouveau masterpiece, guaranteed to stop
truck drivers, beer drinkers, vintage car buffs, and just about anyone
else in their tracks.

The
sight of the Streamliner will revive memories for many Canadians. The
truck has a wind-cheating shape and a high-gloss white oak and birch
wood interior.

Designed by Count Alexis de
Sakhnoffsky, who also conceived the landmark 1935 Chrysler Airflow and
1933 Nash, the Streamliner was meant to be a kind of motorized goodwill
ambassador for Labatt's, and its drivers were trained and expected to
assist other motorists with breakdowns, flat tires, and so on.
Constructed
specifically for Labatt's, the Streamliner was also meant to give the
company "instant identity" and "provide a viable alternative to rail."
Originally co-built by the White Motor Company of Canada, Fruehauf
Trailers and Smith Brothers Body Works, the first Streamliner delivered
in 1935 - was the world's first truly aerodynamic truck. Only one
survives - the bright red 1947 model pictured on this page - which,
after a seven-year restoration project, was put back- on the road again
in 1984. It is now touring Canada on its way to the winter Olympics, in
Salt Lake City, Utah.
To get the Streamliner back to its original
specs was far from straightforward. Despite the fact that the restorer,
Joe Scott, posted a reward for any information leading to the recovery
of a tractor unit, none surfaced. Nor were there any blueprints or
diagrams available.
This meant the truck, frame, interior, and
just about everything else had to be built from scratch. To come up with
an authentic streamliner body, Scott downloaded photos of the original
trucks into a computer and slowly put together a set of drawings.
The
finished product is apparently accurate to within one-thirty-second of
an inch. The trailer unit, surprisingly, was found almost intact in a
field in Ontario, serving as an office for a construction company.
Because
of its unique aerodynamic design, the Streamliner has a wooden body
tub, with rolled aluminum sheathing tacked in place. Hundreds of
individual pieces of wood were used in the body construction, as well as
30 different hammers to pound the metal into the right shape. The
interior of the cab and trailer are finished in white oak and birch
wood, and originally, beer was carried around in wooden barrels. The
paint job consists of five coats of primer, five coats of bright red,
and five more coats of clear-coat, with real gold leaf lettering.
Power
is delivered by a White Mustang 386-cubic-inch in-line six-cylinder
"flathead" gas-powered engine that develops 135 horsepower. It's mated
to a five-speed transmission and a single reduction rear axle. It has
air brakes front and back, and the cab is fitted with a hydraulic hoist
that allows the driver to tilt it over for engine access. Empty, the
Streamliner and trailer weigh 10 tons and can haul another 8.5 tons of
cargo. Benny DiFranco, the Streamliner's manager and driver, says that
it has a top speed of about 80 km/h (50 mph), which, for its day, made
it quicker than just about everything else. What a concept: The fastest
beer truck in the country.
I had an opportunity to drive the rig
when it was in Vancouver this week and behind the wheel, it's more
comfortable than you might think. The shift lever is a steel rod that
juts out beside the driver's seat, and if you double clutch, the
transmission is actually pretty civilized. There is no synchromesh, so
when you slow down, you have to stop and start all over again in first.
Power isn't exactly overwhelming, but the streamliner can keep up ... at
least when it's empty. Just take the turns wide and be patient. I was
actually surprised at how driveable the rig was ... not at all
difficult.
In the 25 years I've been writing about cars and bikes,
I've piloted some pretty wild and woolly creations. Everything from
quarter million dollar luxury sedans to race-prepared sports cars to
vintage flivvers to 300 km/h motorcycles. After driving the Labatt
streamliner, I think I've about covered it.Ted Laturnus is co-host of Driver's Seat, which airs Sundays on Global TV

By Bill Vance
Although Prohibition ended in Ontario in 1927, beer advertising
continued to be banned in the media. Brewers sought legal ways to keep
their names in front of the public, and one of the most imaginative came
from the Labatt Brewing Company of London, Ontario: Labatt’s
“Streamliner” tractor-trailers.
In the 1930s, Labatt changed from shipping beer by rail to hauling
beer by road. Needing a new fleet of large trucks, they decided to
combine highway delivery with mobile advertising. They wanted more than
the drab, rectangular haulers then in use so they conceived the Labatt
Streamliner as a stylish rolling billboard.
Labatt turned to Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, a Russian-born Count
who escaped to France following the revolution. After studying art and
engineering he became art director for Belgian custom coach builder Van
den Plas. He emigrated to the United States in 1928 to style everything
from American Austins to supercharged Auburns.
Sakhnoffsky was engaged to design the Streamliner in 1935, and
ultimately designed four generations. Although all were ahead of their
time, the last one of 1947 was the most dramatic.

The cab-over-engine tractor had a beautifully curvaceous shape. The
rear of the cab swept down in a steep, unbroken line ending at fully
skirted dual wheels. The equally striking trailer complemented the cab’s
fastback shape with a roof arcing gently front to rear. Sakhoffsky’s
trade-mark central dorsal fin decorated the rear of the roof. With the
dual wheels fully enclosed the tractor-trailer unit had a smooth,
integrated appearance.
Fifteen Streamliner bodies were completed in 1937 by Smith Brothers
of Toronto out of hardwood and aluminum. Fruehauf produced the
single-axle, low-bed trailers, and White Motor Co. supplied the tractor
chassis. The futuristic Streamliner won the “Best Design” award at the
1939 New York World’s Fair.
The streamliners were the first Canadian tractor-trailers with an
anti-jack-knifing device in the fifth wheel, and the first to use air
brakes. Power came from a White “Mustang” 6.3-litre (386 cu in.),
135-horsepower six-cylinder engine driving through a five-speed
transmission.

1948 Labatt Streamliner; photo by Bill Vance. Click image to enlarge

The Streamliners met Labatt’s requirements for more payload and
higher speed. While typical tractor-trailers hauled five tons and
attained only 56 km/h, the Streamliners carried 8-1/2 tons and reached
80 km/h.
The Streamliner’s appearance was enhanced by a dramatic red paint
treatment decorated with genuine gold leaf script. Labatt’s Highway
Courtesy Program featured smartly uniformed drivers trained to assist in
everything from flat tires to accidents. They generated positive
publicity for Labatt on Ontario roads.
The last generation Streamliners were ordered by Labatt in 1941 but
the Second World War delayed the first roll-out until 1947. In addition
to the 10 Streamliners, there was a special order for one from Princess
Julianna of The Netherlands, who stayed in Canada during the war. She
admired the Streamliner so much she wanted one to transport her ponies!

This would be the last fleet of Streamliners. Although making a bold
styling statement, their time was passing. The bodies were expensive and
time consuming to build and the cargo capacity was becoming small by
contemporary standards. The shape was not very efficient, and the
side-opening doors precluded pallet loading. And other methods of
advertising were now available.
The Streamliners were retired in the mid-1950's, and gradually faded
from memory. Then in 1977 Joe Scott of London, Ontario, along with
Labatt, decided this piece of Canadiana should be preserved. Joe had
recently retired from the presidency of White Truck Sales in London
which serviced the Streamliners. With Labatt’s financial support, Joe
and brother Bob, a long time Labatt employee, set out to find a 1947
Streamliner for restoration.
They eventually unearthed six trailers in Ontario. One was a construction field office, and although tatty, it was restorable.
The tractor was another matter. They wrote to every White branch in
North America without success. A $500 finder’s reward generated wide
publicity, but no tractor. Joe however, for some unexplained reason, was
able to purchase a batch of fenders in The Netherlands. Perhaps
Julianna had them in reserve.
The determined Scotts finally found two 1947 White cab-over trucks
and set out to recreate the Streamliner tractor. Working from
photographs and using a computer, blueprints were developed with
accuracy within 1/32 of an inch (0.8 mm) of the original tractor’s
dimensions and shape.
Using panel beating hammers and a metal-shaping wheeling machine, the
aluminum cab was painstakingly recreated. The project was finally
completed and the authentically restored 1947 Streamliner was on the
road in 1983.
The Streamliner was honoured by appearing on a Canadian postage stamp
in 1996. Owned by Labatt, the Streamliner is a roving goodwill
ambassador that appears at fairs, exhibitions and other public events,
To the delight of everyone, its horn doesn’t just toot, it plays “How
dry I am.”